Counting the dominos
by ihrtryoma
Summary: Horio comes back to Seigaku but to high school. Things have changed though, he's not the same person he was, in looks or otherwise. He was bullied and attempted to take his life but he learns life is great and he'll fight for it.
1. Chapter 1

** HORIO**

Do you ever wish you could change the things that went wrong in your life? I do, very much.

After my freshmen year of middle school, I had to move. We moved to a country where I had to walk 7 miles a day getting up at the crack of dawn to make it to school.

My school was a small one, I wasn't welcome by the school or the kids in my classes at all and every time I tried talking they would ignore me.

I tried fixing all my flaws, stopping the bragging, growing my hair out a little, getting rid of the unibrow and all these other things but nothing changed.

The next 2 years were the worst in my life so far, I was alone all the time. Although, I was in the best physical state of my life since I had walk so much.

I always thought myself a strong person, never easily broken down but this just made me split in to.

I became so quiet even my parents noticed, then that happened. My right arm was damaged broke it. I was told I would never play tennis again and that's when I lost it.

I tried to kill myself but it didn't work and so this is where I am. I was sent to my old town. The place I met those that I wanted to see the most in the world.

Kachiro, Katsuyo, Sakuno, Ryoma, Tomoka. Oh god, Tomoka. We argued 24/7 and now I realize we argued because we liked it even though none of us admitted it.

Tomoka had screamed at me when I left and told me never to come back.

It's not the beginning of the first year of my high school but it's not too late. I walk into the school and come into the classroom when I'm called.

I closed the door behind me and everyone's staring, I avoid eye contact but glance around.

"This is Horio Satoshi" the teacher said.

"WHAT?" a girl's scream makes me jump and turn.

It's Tomoka, she's different though. Her figure is slim and curvy and her hair is in a side ponytail and she's still pretty and charismatic, I see.

I relax "yeah, um" I swallow not sure what to say "im back?" I try.

Tomoka's eyes go wide as dinner plates then I go sit down when the teacher tells us both to take our seats.

After class Tomoka starting saying something so fast I couldn't process it. And she said it really loud which made everyone stare and I grabbed Tomoka's hand and we went outside.

"What?" I asked, Tomoka just stared at me then at her hand, I let go nearly blushing.

"What happened to you? Why are you so…you're way different" she told me.

I shrugged "where I moved I had to walk 7 miles to school every day" I replied, blinking.

Tomoka raised her eyebrows then looked around frowning.

"I need to find everyone else" she told me.

I didn't answer but I didn't have to because she grabbed my arm, dragging me along. We stopped at a tree that some people were sitting under.

Kachiro had messy black hair and Katsuo seemed to have grown his a little bit. Sakuno was sitting waiting for Tomoka and Ryoma was laying against the tree, his hat covering his face.

I was dragged then pushed onto the ground to the tree, I straightened up, sitting.

I didn't say anything, Tomoka stared "well?" she asked, me or the others I wasn't sure.

Ryoma tilted his hat up, he hadn't changed much only that his face was slightly more mature and he was taller.

He stared at me and I blinked "is that? Horio?" Sakuno asked, softly. I turned to her then nodded.

"Whoa!" Kachiro said.

"Yeah, you look different" Katsuyo told me, nodding.

Ryoma just stared at me "hn…" he said then went back to sleep.

It wasn't until everyone started eating that I realized I'd forgotten to pack my lunch. I didn't say anything though, I didn't eat much these days anyway.

"So, why are you back?" Tomoka asked.

"I wanted to study in the city rather than in the country so my mom arranged for me to get a cheap apartment so I'll live there. My Grandmother also runs a noodle shop so if I work there I can get a free meal and some grocery money" I replied.

"She does?" Katsuo asked, tilting his head, I nodded.

"Yeah, I don't really talk about it much" I replied.

"Well, it's cool you get to live alone" Kachiro added.

"I guess but my land lady is an old friend of my mom's so she keeps an eye on me" I replied.

We talked a while "hey, where is your lunch?" Sakuno asked.

"I forgot it and my money is at home too, I'm out a luck" I replied, rubbing the back of my neck.

Ryoma looks up from his lunch then reaches in his bag and pulls out a pork bun that's in his paper bag then hands it to me.

I take it "thanks" I told him.

He doesn't answer as usual then smirks when I almost drop the bun, I sighed in relief when I didn't and took a bite.

"Mmm" I mumbled then ate the rest quickly then licked my fingers.

"Your eating habits haven't changed a bit" Tomoka muttered.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" I demanded.

"It means you're a disgusting eater, of course!" She argues and that starts our quarrel. After we both pause, she starts laughing.

I blinked, confused. "What?" I asked, sitting down under the tree again.

"Well, you look and act so different than who you were when we were freshman in middle school.

I was afraid that you changed so much that you didn't keep your usual traits but since we argued I'm glad that that's the same, at least" she replied.

In spite of everything, I couldn't say anything and just smiled.

Later that day, I walked down to the noodle shop and grabbed an apron and a bandana on to pull my hair out of my face then set to work.

I got pretty good at it, "I don't see your train of thought, Eiji, seriously there is no way Ryoma is going for that type a girl" I turned when I heard Ryoma, "shut up" he grumpily muttered.

They sat at a table and walked over "hi" I greeted, Ryoma looked at me.

"Who's this?" Momo asked.

"Horio" Ryoma replied nonchalant.

Momo blinked looking at me and Kikumaru looked over too "EH?" they shouted.

"Shh…" I put a finger to my lips "if my grandma knows I made commotion, it comes out my paycheck" I said alarmed.

"Baka" Ryoma muttered.

"Sorry, sorry, anyway you look really different, nya" Kikumaru told me.

"So I've been told" I chuckled.

"And act different" Momo added.

I shrugged "so, what's your order" I asked a little nervous I'll add.

I took their orders then helped the rest of my customers, and it was a rough night.

I got grabbed in the ass by a drunk old man, had to serve 3 bowls each for Kikumaru, Momo, and Ryoma and I kid you not.

They watched my whole night even the embarrassing old man grabbing my ass.

When he did that, I just turned around glaring angrily but unfortunately if I said anything my Grandma would take my money away from today.

So, I didn't say anything and served his food.

His buddy apologized over and over and even left an expensive tip when they went home so I wasn't too angry.

But then the drunk old man turned around and gave me a perverted smirk "ya've gotsh a skinny ash" he sloshed sending chills up my spine.

When my shift was over, I sat next to Kikumaru and placed my head on the table.

"Rough night, huh?" Momo asked.

"Momo, some old guy grabbed his ass" Ryoma spoke up and I groaned.

My grandpa, a strong old man served me some ramen "sorry about that, Horio, but I'm proud how you handled him" he told me.

I smiled then ate, when I was done then I walked home and did my homework and went to bed. I hit the bed and went to sleep immediately and was woken up early by a phone.

I answered "hello?" I asked.

"Horio! Oh, thank goodness, I was worried when you didn't answer yesterday" my mom ranted sounding panicked.

"Sorry, I was at the noodle shop, it was a rough night" I replied.

"Oh, well, how's school? Did you find your old friends, do they remember you? Are you eating properly? I could check on you-"

"Whoa, mom, slow down. I'm fine. I ate just yesterday, found my old friends, and of course they remember me" I assured her.

"You did eat enough, right? The doctor said that you should eat three times a day, skipping even one meal can make you anemic, remember?" she asked, worried to death I could tell.

"Yes, I ate a protein bar for breakfast, a pork bun for lunch and grandpa gave me ramen for dinner" I told her.

"A pork bun! Only a pork bun for lunch, Horio, promise me you'll eat more than that" she said.

"Mom, I promise, if you don't calm down I think you're brain will explode" I laughed.

She took took in a deep breath "okay, honey, I love you and if you ever need a thing, even if you're drunk at a party like high school kids do sometimes…you can call Aoi.

She was my best friend all through school and she still is so she doesn't mind" mom told me.

"Mom" I complained then shook my head "ok, but I don't think a party late at night is my thing, maybe an after tennis match party but not late" I assured her and she seemed to breath finally.

"Okay, love you" she told me.

"Love you too, bye mom" I replied then hung up.


	2. Chapter 2

**HORIO**

A few weeks flew by and I had encounters with Seigaku regulars and even saw lots of tennis matches.

They made my heart ache and sometimes I was caught watching the matches with a sad look.

Other than that, things were good and I never let the shape of my body go down for a second.

I ran every day and did push-ups too, the push-ups hurt a lot because of my arm but I didn't let up until I did a hundred.

It wasn't too long until Ryoma noticed I didn't have my racquet nor did tennis.

When he asked, I was surprised "why?" I asked him.

"Why what?" he asked, infuriatingly calm as always.

"How do you notice that of all things?" I asked him.

"Why wouldn't I?" he asked and I laughed "of course you would notice, sorry, forgot you're the prince of tennis" I added.

"So?" he asked challenging.

"My last year of middle school, I broke my arm and even though it's healed…I can't play tennis again" I told him.

Ryoma stared at me in that calculating way he usually has "and?" he asked.

"Well, what you do if you hurt every time you picked up a racquet?" I demanded.

"Keep on picking it up, I'd play" he replied.

"Why? It's not fair! I love tennis but I'm not strong like you, Ryoma" I told him.

"Wrong" he muttered.

"About what? I was never great at tennis but it was so fun even if I was losing. I can't do it though, it hurts a lot" I told him.

"What hurts more?" Ryoma asked "does it hurt more when you can't play or does the physical pain hurt?" he asked.

I stared at him "It hurts me more that I can't play" I told him.

"Then, there's no other choice" he told me.

I stared then smiled then nodded "yeah" I replied.

Since then I took up tennis, I was hitting my tennis ball against the wall every day.

I went to the doctor and he said that if my arm kept getting stronger with what I was doing I could play again.

I was happy about that but I was working very hard.

I worked every night at the shop, packed my own lunch every night, practiced tennis and did my running and push-ups, and I had to do homework so I was very busy.

I woke up early, as usual to get ready and found my cheeks red and I was running a fever but it wasn't too high so I left it alone.

I walked to school and when lunch time came went to our usual tree.

I sat down and ate my lunch fast to get my homework done but the letters seemed to float off the page and my vision got blurry.

I shook my head and blinked "Horio?...Are you okay…?" Sakuno asked but she sounded far away.

"I think…" my world then went black.

When I woke up I woke in a white room, I squinted at the bright lights then sat up slowly.

"Horio! You're awake" Tomoka said which made my head pound, I pat her on the head and she seemed to shut up.

"Why didn't you tell us you had anemia?" Ryoma asked but I could tell he was angry at me because of his eyes.

I felt my forehead "it wasn't like I was hiding it" I muttered.

"Still, being sick is dangerous when your anemic! You of all people should know! What if you'd passed out on the stairs or your friends hadn't been with you!" my grandma shouted.

She was a very young looking woman despite her age and she was scary when she was angry.

"Do you know I had to cover for you when your mother called me? If I'd told she would've had a heart attack!

Then, she would never let you have your freedom" my grandma scolded.

"Sorry" I muttered lowering my head.

"You should be" she sighed then hugged me close, I blushed when everyone snickered.

When she let go she smiled "now, tonight you're going to spend the night at the hospital then you'll discharged.

If you're feeling better you can go to school and everything but if you aren't…" her eyes flashed and I got the message.

I nodded vigorously.

The next day I felt better and went to work but not school. Grandma went easy on me for work and gave me an extra big bowl for food.

"Um, I don't think I can eat all this" I replied.

"Eat it" she said, her eyes glaring and so I ate it but I was really full afterwards.

Since my trip to the hospital I took it easier on the tennis thing and it was much better without all the stress.

Tomoka seemed to get quiet all of a sudden when we were alone and just stare at the ground.

I didn't know why but then her attitude would completely change into her normal self and she'd ramble on again.

Girls are confusing.


End file.
